A TOWN OF WHITE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 205, 31 July 1939, Page 9

A TOWN OF WHITE.

HEAVY FALL OF SNOW. FEILDING'S HARE EXPERIENCE. Easily eclipsing lust Tuesday's experience in Feilding a 'heavy fall of snow greeted residents tin's morning when they awoke to find the white flakfcs descending thickly. Preceded by a white frost, the snow commenced between five and six o'clock and continued for several hours to completely blanket the town in a thick layer to a depth of fully two inches. About eight o'clock rain commenced and traffic on the roads soon churned the snow into a slushy mess, blemishing the pure whiteness which had presented such a picturesque and comparatively rare scene. Man and vehicle were, however, unable to totally remove the beauty of the work of Nature, for gardens and plant life retained the generous visitation for some time. The fall was sufficiently heavy to result in small branches being broken by the weight of their snow-white burden, while larger limbs were forced to bow. Seasonal small (lowers, which bravo ! the elements of winter, were hidde'n j under the blanket of white, while birdlifo searched vainly for the morsels wherewith to make their morning meal. Kindly "people came to the aid of the feathered ones and put out breadcrumbs, while live-stock had to bo fed with hay and roots. Eor farmers in the unfortunate position of not i having any supplementary feed avail- ! able, the experience was an unonvi- j able one and the weather most trying for their stock. Many dairying herds • are just coming in and no doubt the I severity of the weather during the past week will be reilected in production, resulting in a poor start for the new season. ] Lambs are also making their appear- j ance in the Feilding district and at Bunnythorpe considerable numbers are to be seen.

As tlio morning wore on still unin- j vitingly. the district was visited by rain and the prospects of warmer temperatures werp not brighter, cars parked being still covered with snow at mid-forenoon. On Saturday evening an electrical j storm parsed over Feilding. there being | very vivid lightning and heavy thiui- j der followed by hail, while yesterday the atmosphere was very cold and it commenced to freeze during the night. IN r THE BACK COUNTRY. Reports received from Waituna, Hal-comli-e, Rangiwahia t Kimbolton and Apiti indicate ihat the fall of snow was widespread and general. At "Waituna snow was still falling heavily at 10 o'clock, and already at that hour the depth was one foot. Traffic is blocked between Kimbol- j ton and Apiti and from Apiti to Feilding, while cars are unable to get j through to Feilding from "Waituna Mails from Waituna this morning are held up. . I LATER REPORTS.

The Halcombe postmaster stated that the snow at Halcombe this morning was the heaviest experienced for many years and that the depth -was fully two inches. Rain had set in. At Apiti the fall was the heaviest, this year with fully six inches on the ilafc country and a greater depth on the hills. At 10 o'clock it was still snowing and carrying and motor traffic in general was at a standstill. Communication with Feilding by road was cut off. At Kimboltoh there were four and a half inches at 10 a.m. and snow was still falling thickly. The fall showed promise of being the heaviest this seawon. The town was cut off by road, although connection with Feilding was made early in the morning. At Rahgiwahia at 10 a.m. to-day snow covered the ground to a depth of nine inches and the postmaster stated that the indications at that hour were that within an hour or two the measurement -would l>e twelve inches. On June I'3 llangiwahia had a fall of 10 inches. Snow was still falling there at 11 o'clock this morning. Several cars were stuck at River Hill between Kimbolton and Apiti, while services to the back country are dislocated. The Apiti bus made a trip to Keilding with the schoolchildren to the Lytton Street School, but the driver said the trip was not an easy one. and he did not know how he would faro on the return journey as it was still snowing when he came through this morning. . Apparently AVaituna experienced the heaviest fall during the early hours, it being reported that there was a foot of snow at 10 a.m. Between 10 and 11 a.m. the rain ceased in Feilding, but the weather was bitterly cold and there was a fairly strong south-easterly wind blowing.